A Facebook post labeled as “rumor” is making the rounds online, claiming that President Ferdinand Marcos ordered the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to stop garbage collection in Davao City. This is not true.
A reader, through the VERA Files Messenger Tip Line, asked to verify the post published by an anti-Marcos administration critic on June 5. The post reads:
“Rumor: BBM told Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to halt garbage collection in Davao City so people can stop praising its cleanliness and laugh at how dirty it has become.”
Another post with the same label appeared seven hours later on another FB page.
The post drew backlash and even harsh criticism against the president and his administration in the comment sections.
The Region 11 office of the DENR denied the claim, calling it “fake news.”
Heavy rains on May 20 triggered a deadly trash slide at the New Carmen Sanitary Landfill in Davao City, killing two people and leaving one missing. DENR-11 suspended operations the next day, but not on orders of the President.
Davao City Mayor Baste Duterte blamed the DENR’s “bureaucratic ineptitude” for the garbage crisis, and warned it could lead to public health and sanitation problems.
In a statement posted on his official FB page on June 4, he also argued that the DENR issued the suspension “without providing a clear timeline for reopening.”
In a press release, the regional office said that the suspension would remain in effect until all required safety and engineering measures are completed. It stressed that this was intended “to secure ongoing retrieval operations, support evacuations, and protect workers and nearby communities.”
The mayor responded by ordering tons of garbage dumped in front of the regional office.
The bogus posts surfaced as garbage continued to build up in Davao City due to a halt in collection following the shutdown of the landfill.
As of writing, the post published by President Rodrigo “Rody” Roa Duterte Supporters (created June 29, 2016) and an FB user collectively garnered 16,200 reactions; 1,933 comments; and 2,910 shares.
